Out to Lunch! was Eric Dolphy's only recording for Blue Note Records as a leader and was originally issued as BLP 4163 and BST 84163. Today it is generally considered one of the finest albums in the label's history, as well as one of the high points in 1960s avant-garde jazz and in Dolphy's discography. Tony Williams had turned 18 a few months (75 days) before this recording, and is listed as "Anthony Williams" on the album cover. A few months after recording this album, Dolphy went on a European tour with Charles Mingus. He died shortly thereafter of a diabetic shock. His brilliant 1964 debut as a leader on Blue Note, recorded just four months before his death.

Reissue. Features the high-fidelity SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD player) and 24bit remastering. Includes an alternate take of "Hat and Beard" and a track for the first time in the world. Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Its rhythmic complexity was perhaps unrivaled since Dave Brubeck's Time Out, and its five Dolphy originals – the jarring Monk tribute "Hat and Beard," the aptly titled "Something Sweet, Something Tender," the weirdly jaunty flute showcase "Gazzelloni," the militaristic title track, the drunken lurch of "Straight Up and Down" – were a perfect balance of structured frameworks, carefully calibrated timbres, and generous individual freedom.

Out to Lunch, Dolphy’s sole recording for Blue Note represented a pinnacle moment in avant-garde jazz. Poised with intriguing improvisation, the compelling listen would become a staple in the jazz canon. The album made a bold statement with its stunning instrumentation, ranging from alto sax to bass clarinet. This essential recording included a breathtaking tribute to Thelonious Monk.

Out to Lunch stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Its rhythmic complexity was perhaps unrivaled since Dave Brubeck's Time Out, and its five Dolphy originals – the jarring Monk tribute "Hat and Beard," the aptly titled "Something Sweet, Something Tender," the weirdly jaunty flute showcase "Gazzelloni," the militaristic title track, the drunken lurch of "Straight Up and Down" – were a perfect balance of structured frameworks, carefully calibrated timbres, and generous individual freedom. Much has been written about Dolphy's odd time signatures, wide-interval leaps, and flirtations with atonality.

Out to Lunch! was Eric Dolphy’s only recording for Blue Note Records as a leader. Today it is generally considered one of the finest albums in the label’s history, as well as one of the high points in 1960s jazz avant garde and in Dolphy’s discography.

The follow-up album to Outward Bound, Eric Dolphy's second effort for the Prestige/New Jazz label (and later remastered by Rudy Van Gelder) was equally praised and vilified for many reasons. At a time when the "anti-jazz" tag was being tossed around, Dolphy's nonlinear, harshly harmonic music gave some critics grist for the grinding mill. A second or third listen to Dolphy's music reveals an unrepentant shadowy side, but also depth and purpose that were unprecedented and remain singularly unique.

Eric Dolphy's recording Out To Lunch is a masterpiece. Late 20th Century jazz every listener serious about music - or just after a mind-opening experience - should hear. Johnson, alto saxophonist Roy Nathanson, pianist Myra Melford, bassist Brad Jones and drummer George Schuller here approach a 50-year-old classic with reverence but also with regard for an imperative Dolphy would have undoubtedly endorsed - that if they choose to play his music they should be themselves.